Research Data Sets: Climate
The climate of shortgrass steppe is semi-arid, with a mean annual precipitation (~340 mm) characterized by high inter- and intra-annual variability, with few large events and many events too small to infiltrate soils and feed plant transpiration. Mean annual temperature is ~8 C and the absence of climatological barriers to the north and south permit large variations in temperature. Like most grasslands, evapotranspiration far exceeds precipitation during much of the growing season. Understanding how the SGS responds to changes in climate requires expansive monitoring of abiotic and biotic variables (see Long-Term Monitoring datasets). Using comparative and experimental approaches, we study how changes in precipitation regimes, using the pulse-dynamic framework, affect soil moisture as well as above- and belowground community structure and interactions, nutrient dynamics, aboveground trophic and disease interactions, plant phenology, and plant genotypic structure.
Data Sets related to Climate
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Amount of seedlings germinated from surface soil of Open Top Chamber plots on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Assimilation vs. intercellular CO2 response curves on Open Top Chamber species on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Biomass, by species, from ambient and elevated CO2 OTC's and unchambered controls on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Gas exchange at 8 light levels in major Open Top Chamber species on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Gas exchange of the major species measured at chamber CO2 concentrations in Open Top Chambers on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Leaf carbon isotope, nitrogen, carbon and Ci/Ca means from the SGS Open Top Chamber experiment on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Leaf water potential, measured with a pressure chamber, from the Open Top Chamber experiment on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: OTC summer plus fall total harvest data on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Percent sand, silt & clay from each block and treatment of the Open Top Chambers on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Plant nitrogen, carbon and carbohydrates from Open Top Chamber project on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Stipa comata basal size and plant density per Open Top Chamber plot on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Visual estimates of plant cover on the OTC project on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Weekly volumetric soil water content, from TDR probes, for Open Top Chamber plots on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997-2001
- SGS-LTER CO2 Elevation Study: Weights of roots from Open Top Chamber root coring on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1997 - 2001
- SGS-LTER Data from National Atmospheric Deposition Program - Station CO22 on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1979 -
- SGS-LTER Historical LTER Soil water - neutron probe: field data (1984-1992) in Section 25, Shale on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA
- SGS-LTER Historical LTER Soil water - neutron probe: field data (1983-1992) across topograhy on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA
- SGS-LTER Historical LTER Soil water - neutron probe: field data (1983-1992) in ungrazed ESA (Ecosystem Stress Area) on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA
- SGS-LTER Historical LTER Soil water - neutron probe: field data (1984-1992) in Section 15, Sandy on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA
- SGS-LTER Historical LTER Soil water - neutron probe: field data (1985-1992) in Owl Creek on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA
- SGS-LTER Historical LTER Soil water - neutron probe: lysimeter field data (1983-1992) on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA
- SGS-LTER Long-term Seasonal Root Biomass on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1985-2007
- SGS-LTER Precipitation at the Central Plains Experimental Range Headquarters in Nunn, Colorado, USA since 1939
- SGS-LTER Spatial variability in seed production of the perennial bunchgrass Bouteloua gracilis on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1992-2005
- SGS-LTER Standard Met Data: 1969- 2010 Manually Collected Standard Meteorological Data on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1969 - present
- SGS-LTER Standard Met Data: 1969-2010 Manually Collected Aboveground Meteorological Data: English Units on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA
- SGS-LTER Standard Met Data: 1971-2010 Manually Collected Soil Temperature Data in English Units on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1971-2008
- SGS-LTER Standard Met Data: 1986-09-12-2010 CR21x Level 2 Meteorological Data on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1986 - present
- SGS-LTER Standard Met Data: CR21x Station 12 - 15 minute preciptation values from LTER meteorological station on the Central Plains Experimental Range in Nunn, Colorado, USA 1986-1994
- SGS-LTER Standard Met Data: CR21x Station 12 - 15 Minute Meteorological Data on the Central Plains Experimental Range in Nunn, Colorado, USA 1986-2010
- SGS-LTER Standard Met Data: Cr21x Station 12 - Daily Meteorological Data on the Central Plains Experimental Range in Nunn, Colorado, USA 1995-present
- SGS-LTER Standard Met Data: CR21x Station 12 - Hourly Meteorological Data on the Central Plains Experimental Range Headquarters in Nunn, Colorado, USA 1986-present
- SGS-LTER Standard Met Data: Monthy precipitation totals and temperatures from the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, CO 1940-1973
- SGS-LTER US Dept of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Water and Climate Center on the Central Plains Experimental Range, Nunn, Colorado, USA 1994 - present
